Maharashtra’s State Common Entrance Test Cell has opened registration for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test – Postgraduate (NEET PG 2025) counselling Round 3. This decision follows a significant revision in qualifying criteria by the National Board of Examinations (NBE). The registration window for eligible candidates begins on January 19, 2026 , and closes on January 26, 2026 , by 11:59 pm.
The revision allows a new cohort of qualified candidates to participate in the ongoing Maharashtra Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for postgraduate medical courses. This measure aims to fill more medical seats and increase participation. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) previously announced a revised schedule, paving the way for these changes.
Eligibility and Registration Process
Candidates must complete their online registration and session application through the official Maharashtra portal. The process requires payment of a non-refundable registration fee of Rs 3,000 , along with an applicable security deposit. All necessary coloured scanned original documents must be uploaded in PDF format after successful payment. The deadline for registration, fee payment, and document upload is January 26, 2026, at 11:59 pm .
Eligibility for CAP Round 3 extends to several candidate groups:
- Individuals who did not register in previous counselling rounds.
- Candidates allotted a seat in CAP Round 2 but opted not to join.
- Applicants newly qualified under the recently revised eligibility criteria.
A general list of all registered candidates, including those under in-service, Non-Resident Indian (NRI), and Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) categories, will be published on January 27, 2026 . This list precedes the publication of the combined provisional state merit list on January 30, 2026 .
Revised NEET PG 2025 Qualifying Criteria
The NBE has significantly lowered the qualifying criteria for NEET PG 2025. These revised cut-offs are crucial for new applicants:
- General Category (including Economically Weaker Section – EWS): Now requires the 7th percentile, with a minimum score of 103.
- General Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD): Eligibility set at the 5th percentile, requiring a minimum score of 90.
- Reserved Category (SC/ST/OBC) and PwBD: The qualifying criterion is now 0 percentile, corresponding to a minimum score of -40.
These adjustments broaden the pool of eligible candidates for postgraduate medical admissions in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra NEET PG 2025 Round 3 Counselling Schedule
The detailed schedule for Maharashtra NEET PG 2025 Round 3 counselling is outlined below:
| Activity | Dates |
|---|---|
| Online Registration & Session Apply | January 19 to January 26, 2026 (up to 11:59 pm server time) |
| Payment of Registration Fees (Non-Refundable Rs 3,000) and Security Deposit | January 19 to January 26, 2026 (up to 11:59 pm server time) |
| Uploading of all required coloured scanned original documents (PDF) | January 19 to January 26, 2026 (up to 11:59 pm server time) |
| Publication of General List of Registered Candidates (In-service, NRI, PwBD) | January 27, 2026 |
| Publication of Combined Common Provisional State Merit List | January 30, 2026 |
| Last date to cancel Round-2 seat (with forfeiture of CAP application fees and security deposit, but without penalty) | January 30, 2026 |
| Publication of Seat Matrix for CAP Round-3 | January 31, 2026 |
| Online Preference/Choice Form Filling Process for CAP Round-3 | February 3 to February 5, 2026 (up to 11:59 pm server time) |
| Declaration of Third Selection List (CAP Round-3) | February 7, 2026 |
| Physical Joining with all original documents & requisite fees at allotted college | February 8 to February 13, 2026 (up to 5:30 pm) |
| Prescribed last date to cancel admission (with forfeiture of security deposit but without penalty) | February 13, 2026 (up to 5:30 pm) |